Dutch 240z race car

[ben240z]

does anyone have any info on the dutch datsun 240Z that raced in the group 4/5 european sports car championship in the mid 70s. It was driven by Han Tjan and earlier by Rob Janssen. Janspeed were involved in preparing the car in 1976ish. Did you race against it? Did you see it racing? Have you any photos of it? All info gratefully recieved. cheers ben

[haman132]

yes i have see it raced by Han Tjan
have some pics from magazines but need to scan first

here is some include a model i build

more to come

[kurtiejjj]

That is just great! I also want to know more about any of the janspeed cars, I have been researching the subject myself a while ago for an article I wanted to write. But information is scarce.

[Frank de Jong]

This is what I wrote to Ben over 2 years ago:
----------------------
The history up to 1974 can be followed on my site in the Dutch championship section, especially from 1973 on. You might find some entries of the same car in the Euro GT championship 72-74 too.

The history of Tjan's 240Z might have started as early as 1971. Rob Janssen raced an ex-Safari Datsun in the Dutch prototype championship with a group 4 car. You'll find a reference here: http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...oort%20F3.html

After that, the car was not seen in 1972 but reappeared in 1973 in the now group 2/group 4 championship. There were two cars now, but they raced hardly together on 1 weekend. Check out the dutch national races on the site. One car raced again in 1974, ad there's a picture on the site: http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...e%20Prijs.html

I have to start on the 1975, 1976 etc seasons, from memory I can add the following:
Tjan raced the same car in 1975 on occasions, even in the 4-hour ETCC race at zandvoort. In 1976, a Datsun was entered as 280 ZG in the new Group 4 form; not sure it was the same car. In 1977, a group 5 version was built initially with an atmospheric engine, later with a turbo. There were not many results to speak of.
-----------------------------------
In the mean time, results for the 1975-1977 period have been added to my site. The car was hardly used in 1975, but in 1976 a 280 ZG appeared following the strict 1976 Group 4 rules. It came second in the Dutch championship, but that was hardly a result to be proud of.
It became worse in 1977, when Janspeed tried to creat a group 5 car with a turbocharged engine; on raceday, the engine was not ready, the car was not ready or Tjan was ill. It didn't even appear in the top-5 of the Dutch championship.

[PZR]

Originally Posted by Frank de Jong

The history of Tjan's 240Z might have started as early as 1971. Rob Janssen raced an ex-Safari Datsun in the Dutch prototype championship with a group 4 car.

Be careful here. Rob Janssen's 71/72 was certainly NOT an ex-Safari Rally works car......

First of all, Nissan never used any left-hand-drive 240Zs on the 1971 East African Safari Rally - so any "Safari" history for that car needs to be taken with a big pinch of salt.

However, Janssen did have access to an ex-Monte Carlo Rallye works recce car from 1971 ( which he had subsequently driven in the '71 TAP Rallye ) and I believe this was the car that he drove in some circuit events. But I don't think it lasted long and I don't believe that it was campaigned into 1973 ( mainly because some major components of that particular car still exist today in pretty-much their TAP Rallye configuration ).

There has always been a lot of rogue information about these cars ( even in-period ) so it is worth bearing this in mind when researching the cars today.........

[PZR]

Originally Posted by haman132

here is some include a model i build

I noted that the original car was left-hand-drive, but that your model is right-hand-drive. Base kit was RHD, I guess?

[haman132]

yes it is a slotracer from scalextric ,but i could fit a other int. here

[haman132]

here is the 76 version





and the turbo for 77




this is a recent pic so the car may be alive

[kurtiejjj]

Oh yes, the 240z is still alive! It's regularly hill climbed, I'm actually eager to see it in real life.

Regarding other Janspeed datsuns; I've done a bit of research for my new website on which I hope to public a good article about it (won't name it though, I'm not sure advertising is allowed on here?). I just couldn't keep this bit of information back, so here it is.

Well anyway, I know that the datsun sunny 120y raced by Tjan in the netherlands was brought to trinidad by I believe Alec Poole (who regularly undertook such trips) and raced there by Dave Maraj. Who is now boss of the champion audi le mans team and also has the biggest dealership of porsches in florida! I contacted him not long ago and he told me he crashed the car and went up in flames. I'm still awaiting some photographs of its time in the carribeano.

There was a second janspeed datsun over there, a cherry 100a. I'm not sure if this is the factory car or a car built with various janspeed bits and just called a datsun janspeed. At the time, one was rallied there by a chap called Barry Mackenzie, same one?

In britain a certain Martin Pearson raced another janspeed cherry 100a in special saloons with modified bodywork. I'm sure someone on here can shed a lot more light on this car than I can.

Well I hope someone can tell us some more on the technical side of these cars, which seems very interesting.

btw, not long ago a janspeed race cylinder head was on ebay and apparently it was quite a bit higher than the standard road-going version to allow for bigger valves and springs. Lovely, a bit of cheating!

[Frank de Jong]

Two cars came from Britain (where they were driven by Poole and Kitano as Jananese works entries. There was a rear-wheel drive Sunny 1200 coupé and a front wheel drive 120A coupé. These cars were driven in the Netherlands in 1974-1975, in 1976 the Sunny disappeared to "the bahama's" which might be Trinidad. There were a number of group 2 120a coupé's in the Netherlands - I'm not sure if the original 120a coupé was modified - I guess not.
In 1977, the Dutch went to Group 5 with some 120A coupé's, but guess what: late in season, the good old Sunny returned...

[ben240z]

Yes it is most certainly alive and fighting fit. I was out in it at the weekend and will be out in a couple of weeks time
http://www.tisburymotors.co.uk/Wisco...HillClimb.html

[kurtiejjj]

Originally Posted by Frank de Jong

Two cars came from Britain (where they were driven by Poole and Kitano as Jananese works entries. There was a rear-wheel drive Sunny 1200 coupé and a front wheel drive 120A coupé. These cars were driven in the Netherlands in 1974-1975, in 1976 the Sunny disappeared to "the bahama's" which might be Trinidad. There were a number of group 2 120a coupé's in the Netherlands - I'm not sure if the original 120a coupé was modified - I guess not.
In 1977, the Dutch went to Group 5 with some 120A coupé's, but guess what: late in season, the good old Sunny returned...

Well that's very interesting frank, it seems you finished some more of your dutch group 5 history. Pool and Kitano drove these cars in trinidad?

But the sunny reappearing in 1977 is incredibly confusing, it must've been a different sunny as the 1974 sunny was racing away in the hands of Dave Maraj, there is a photo of it on one of the trinidadian forums complete with janspeed works colours.

Could the 120a of martin pearson in special saloons be the same car as one of the 1977 dutch group 5 ones?

(Is there any chance of anyone changing this thread's name to janspeed datsuns? As we're getting slightly off-topic of the 240z now )

[Frank de Jong]

Poole and Kitano drove it in Britain in 1973 (check the BTCC British GP support race on my site for instance) - I don't know if they ever drove the car elsewhere. There was even an article in Dutch Autorevue about these cars.
The 1977 reappearance of the Sunny was puzzling to say the least - it wasn't noted in the dutch press but pictures show clearly that it must have been the same car - can't think of any other Sunny racing in Europe.
Perhaps they just hired it for a few months instead - I suppose Coronel's original Group 5 120A coupé wasa crashed and Datsun had no plans to enter the 1978 championship so building a new one was no option?
(I haven't checked 1978 yet but from memory I only remember private Datsun's and a one-off race with Hayje in a silly Janspeed 2-liter Group 5 car at the Dutch GP - silly because compared to the German turbo group 5 monsters like the Capri a car with a 220 HP rallye engine is a joke...).

[KA]

Originally Posted by kurtiejjj

In britain a certain Martin Pearson raced another janspeed cherry 100a in special saloons with modified bodywork. I'm sure someone on here can shed a lot more light on this car than I can.

Well I hope someone can tell us some more on the technical side of these cars, which seems very interesting.

This one?
http://www.racing70s.pwp.blueyonder....saloons_01.htm

[kurtiejjj]

Yes KA, that's the car I meant! I couldn't find it. It's interesting to note that the english 120a was used by pearson in 1977 and 1978. Whereas at the same time there was the 'Datsun Holland' 120a here in holland driven by coronel according to Frank. Was this one built by Janspeed as well?

BTW, Frank do you have any photographs of the dutch datsuns? Perhaps it could bring any clues.

And Frank, that's indeed a joke Hayje with 220 HP engine, was that in a Sunny or a 120a? Must've been during that soaked DRM weekend at zandvoort then. I'm surprised it didn't win, as everyone knows power isn't 'important' in the rain

[Frank de Jong]

The Datsun showed up during the GP support race - as a surprise. It was a Sunny, but a newer model, with 4 doors (...) and a Janspeed decal.
Pictures are scarse so far - what I've got is on the website. Have you checked http://www.racehistorie.nl/ ?
And some more Dutch datsuns: http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/...NI/rni13.shtml

[haman132]

here is another one

[haman132]

And this wil be my 1:12 model of the righthand driven car based on
tamiya's 280zg

[haman132]

This one? 1978

[Frank de Jong]

That's the 1978 Sunny alright!

[haman132]

Here is a article from Autorensport in dutch

[chunterer]

Excellent input to the thread! That 4 door looks a pretty mean device!

BTW, who was driving that red Pantera (on right of earlier pic at Zandvoort) looks like he's having a job getting the power down onto the road.....

[haman132]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Excellent input to the thread! That 4 door looks a pretty mean device!

BTW, who was driving that red Pantera (on right of earlier pic at Zandvoort) looks like he's having a job getting the power down onto the road.....

René Tricot (B) i belive

[haman132]

an advert from 1976

[ben240z]

Who took the picture of the 240Z at the bottom of post number 8?
Have you got any more taken that day?
cheers Ben